Investigating Suburban Environment by Means of Mental Maps: a Case Study of Olomouc Hinterland
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# J. Biolek & I. Andráško Human Geographies – Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography Vol. 9, No. 1, May 2015 | www.humangeographies.org.ro ISSN-print: 1843–6587 | ISSN-online: 2067–2284 Investigating suburban environment by means of mental maps: a case study of Olomouc hinterland Jaroslav Bioleka*, Ivan Andráškob a Palacký University, Czech Republic b Masaryk University, Czech Republic Suburbanization as a key process transforming the hinterland of cities has been researched by human geographers for a long time. The study of suburbanization involves the applica- tion of a wide spectrum of methods or analytic tools falling within the groups of quantitative, qualitative and combined approaches. One of the possibilities to study this process is mental mapping that we primarily use as an instrument for examining the character of suburban environment, its perception by local inhabitants, their experience of and relation to the place of living. The aim of this study is to look at the environment of the suburban municipal- ities in the hinterland of Olomouc by means of mental mapping. We use concrete examples of sketches to describe and interpret the outputs of perception of the researched suburban municipalities and their components by local inhabitants. Despite schematization, incom- pleteness or distortion, the results of the study prove that character of their mental maps mostly depends on how much time the inhabitants spend in their municipalities, whether they participate in the collective life or use a map of the municipality and what their relation to place of living is. Key Words: Mental mapping, Suburbanization, Perception of residence, Hinterland of Olomouc, Czech Republic. Article Info: Received: August 24, 2014; Revised: May 12, 2015; Accepted: May 20, 2015; Online: May 30, 2015. Introduction Suburbanization is mostly characterized as a main process transforming the character of landscape and the shape of municipalities in the hinterland of cities (e.g. Fishman 1989, Harris and Larkham 1999, EEA 2006, Couch et al. 2007). Gottdiener et al. (2006) point out that suburbs, in contrast to cities, are localities * Corresponding author Address: Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Email: +420721460656 | [email protected] ©2015 Human Geographies; The authors DOI:10.5719/hgeo.2015.91.4 44 J. Biolek & I. Andráško Investigating suburban environment 45 with a lower population density and prevailing residential character. According to Mental mapping in the research on urban environment Jackson (1985), the suburban sprawl is especially typical of land-use in the USA as an expression of their extensive colonisation and spatial expansion. However, the The method of mental mapping has been one of the fundamental human geograph- suburbanization has developed not only in the Northern America but from 1960s ical practices. Johnston (1971) argues that, in spite of all the potentialities and possibil- in Western Europe and from 1990s in Central-Eastern Europe (CEE) as well (see ities of its application, mental maps as a research method have especially long tradi- EEA 2006, Couch et al. 2007, Stanilov and Sýkora 2014). Nevertheless, the expan- tion in the investigation of the urban environment. At the beginning of 20th century sion of suburbs in Europe has been more regulated, less spatially extensive and the rst researchers such as Trowbridge (1913, in Naništová and Podlucká 1996) focused suburbs have emerged attached to some earlier built-up areas. Until 90s the their research on the spatial behaviour and sense of orientation of urban residents. development of the suburbanization in CEE countries was state-controlled and These pioneering investigations explored some aspects of the urban residents' suppressed, especially in Czechoslovakia (e.g. Ravbar 1997, Kok 1999, Suditu et al. mapping and their spatial perception (see Downs and Stea 1973, Gould and White 2010, Sýkora and Ouředníček 2001, Krisjane and Berzins 2012, Stanilov and 1986). However, instruments and methods of mental mapping were essentially Sýkora, 2014). The socio-economic transformation, higher incomes of the middle developed as a reaction to depersonalized spatial scientic approach by behavioural and humanistic geographers in 1960s (e.g. Cloke et al. 2004, Daněk 2013). class with accessible real-estate credits and mortgages enabled a boom of residential Although there exists neither comprehensive nor integrating denition of suburbanization in the Czech Republic (see Sýkora and Ouředníček 2001). mental mapping, these approaches, concepts and methods are usually related to Galčanová and Vacková (2008) also show how deteriorating quality of life in the the understanding of spatial perception and cognition process. In accordance with Czech cities and, on the other hand, attractivity of the suburban hinterland Knox and Pinch (2010, p. 225), catalysed the suburban development. The suburbanization process in CEE has been investigated by various geo- “(…) cognition and perception are associated with images, inner representations, mental graphical research approaches (see EEA 2006, Couch et al. 2007, Suditu et al. 2010, maps and schemata that are result of processes in which personal experiences and values Stanilov and Sýkora 2014, in the Czech Republic see Ouředníček 2013). A statisti- are used to lter the barrage of environmental stimuli to which brain is subjected, cal analysis of migration or change of land use has been applied to prove dynamic allowing the mind to work with a partial, simplied (and often distorted) version of development or spatial distribution of suburbanization (see e.g. Ravbar 1997, Kok reality”. 1999, Sýkora and Ouředníček 2001, Krisjane and Berzins 2012, Šveda 2011). For instance, Romportl and Chuman (2013) demonstrated by GIS that in period 1990 In these circumstances mental mapping is a complex process starting with – 2006 the suburban built-up area in the Czech Republic increased by about 246 sensual perception of the place, its transformation and keeping in synaptic struc- square kilometers. These analyses have been complemented by case studies, tures of the brain and ending with the translation of images of that place into a investigating aspects of quality of life, spatial behaviour or geographical separation schematic graphic or cartographic record (Billinge 1986). Therefore, mental map in the suburban municipalities, in which rather mixed-method approaches and is not considered to be just a translation of a place from memory to paper but rather qualitative methods (questionnaires, interviews or observations) have been used a complex phenomenon of acquiring, coding, keeping, renewing and decoding of (see e.g. Puldová and Ouředníček , 2006, Potočný 2006, Biolek and Andráško 2012, information about localization and attributes of the phenomena in the environ- ment (Stokols 1978). Šveda and Šuška 2014). As Galčanová (2013) accentuates the importance of It is necessary to stress that process of mental mapping can be grasped at two narratives in the production of the social environment of Czech and Slovak levels. Firstly as a complex psychological process of a person by means of which she suburbs, the suburbanization has changed not only a physical form of the suburban or he perceives the space around, gets to know the places and reacts with the municipalities but also their cognition and perception as well as behaviour of both surrounding environment and secondly as a scientic investigation of this denizens and new residents. In this way mental maps represent a suitable, though interaction. We can also understand the mental map both in terms of mental marginalized and sporadically applied (e.g. Johnston 1971) instrument for representation of spatial reality and in the form of a graphical output of a scientic analysing the character of the suburban environment, its perception and relation method (map, picture, scheme, sketch etc.). Mental maps thus represent geo- to this place of living. graphical instrument through which we obtain various information about a The aim of this study is to look at the suburban environment by means of mental person, her or his spatial perception, knowledge and behaviour and also character- mapping. Firstly we deal with the comprehension and development of mental istics of places where this person lives and to which she or he has a certain emotional maps as a research method of the urban environment. Consequently, after speci- relation (see e.g. Downs and Stea 1973, Tuan 1975, Gould and White 1986, cation of the study area and selected methods, the results from our mental mapping Golledge and Stimson 1997, Siwek 2011) as we illustrate below. investigation of Czech suburbs are presented. Therefore, we describe and discuss The key breakthrough in mental mapping occurred with Lynch's concept of the outputs of perception of the researched suburban municipalities and their imageability applied in the research on cities. Kevin Lynch (1960) paid a signicant components by local inhabitants. In conclusion some methodological potentialities attention to visual attributes of the urban environment and their legibility and as well as drawbacks of such approach in the suburban environment are outlined. understandability for city inhabitants. Using sketch maps and verbal description of 44 J. Biolek & I. Andráško Investigating suburban environment 45 with a lower population density and prevailing residential character. According to Mental mapping in the research on